This weekend marked a remarkable turn for Star Wars Battlefront 2, as the player count on Steam soared by more than 2200% compared to last June. This surge can be attributed to a substantial 90% discount offered by EA and the excitement generated by NBA star Kyrie Irving, who shared his love for the game while playing as a level 101 Emperor Palpatine.

Ironically, just a month ago, player counts were dwindling again, but this dynamic sale revived interest hitting a peak of 35,892 players according to SteamDB. In stark contrast, the previous peak was merely 10,489.

It’s worth noting that the resurgence coincided with the airing of Andor Season 2, which prompted actor Muhannad Ben Amor to publicly share his considerable gameplay time.

“I love this game! I want them to make Battlefront 3 already, bro!” - Kyrie Irving

Initially rendered unplayable for a span earlier this year due to rampant hackers, it’s certainly a welcome comeback for the game, especially with the energetic push it’s receiving from devoted fans.